Bo Saixi stiffened in shock and hurriedly turned her head to dodge, her cheeks flushing red.
The air around Qian Daoliu suddenly turned icy. His right hand hung awkwardly in midair, clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He roared furiously:
"Kong Deming, you'd better have something important to say!"
As he spoke, Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi appeared outside, in front of Kong Deming.
Seeing Qian Daoliu looking absolutely furious, Kong Deming realized he had ruined the moment again.
He hurriedly said to Qian Daoliu, "Brother Qian, Sister Bo Saixi, Tang Chen, who came with you, has gone missing!"
The scene fell into dead silence. Even the wind seemed to stop for several seconds.
Qian Daoliu tamped down his anger and first glanced at Bo Saixi beside him. Seeing that she looked calm, without a trace of panic, he turned to Kong Deming and said with a hint of irritation:
"I thought the sky had fallen! Tang Chen simply left on his own. What's there to panic about?"
"Kong Deming, you came first thing in the morning and disturbed everyone's sleep over such a trivial matter!"
Just as Qian Daoliu was about to blow up at Kong Deming, the door of the room on the other side opened. A graceful golden-haired figure stepped out at an unhurried pace. It was Ye Guyi, whom they had rescued the day before.
Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi, and Kong Deming were all drawn to Ye Guyi's appearance.
Of the three, Kong Deming was the best at reading the room. Seeing Qian Daoliu's displeasure, he immediately changed the subject. "Brother Qian, this must be your descendant, Ye Guyi, whom you mentioned!"
"Hmph!"
Not wanting to lose his dignity as an elder in front of the younger generation, Qian Daoliu could only grunt and let Kong Deming off for the moment.
"Brother Kong, that's right!"
Bo Saixi also stepped forward to smooth things over between Kong Deming and Qian Daoliu.
Kong Deming took the opportunity to continue speaking to Ye Guyi:
"Little friend Ye Guyi, greetings! My name is Kong Deming, Hall Master of the Worship Hall of the Sun Moon Empire, and my title is Silver Moon!"
Ye Guyi froze at his words. Her eyes widened as she immediately recognized the man before her as the legendary Father of Soul Engineers, renowned throughout the Sun Moon Continent.
She instinctively raised a hand to cover her lips, disbelief written all over her face. Her thoughts roiled, and her voice trembled as she stammered:
"Oh my god! You're—you're Senior Kong, Silver Moon Douluo, the legendary Father of Soul Engineers of the Sun Moon Empire!"
Kong Deming was rather surprised to hear Ye Guyi recognize him. "You know me?"
Ye Guyi spoke softly to Kong Deming. "Senior Kong, to be honest, I'm also a Level 6 Soul Engineer!"
Kong Deming and Qian Daoliu were both greatly surprised.
What surprised Qian Daoliu was that his young descendant was not only a Six-Ring Soul Emperor but also a Level 6 Soul Engineer.
Kong Deming, however, cared more about Ye Guyi's talent as a Soul Master.
Ever since he had broken through to become a Level 9 Soul Engineer, he had increasingly felt that his Soul Master cultivation was limiting his talent in soul engineering.
So when he heard that Ye Guyi was a Level 6 Soul Engineer, he began to entertain an idea.
Meanwhile, Ye Guyi had no idea that two bigwigs, Qian Daoliu and Kong Deming, had already examined her from head to toe.
"Senior Kong, could I trouble you to give me your autograph?"
Ignoring her weakened condition, Ye Guyi started to make her way over to Kong Deming to ask for his autograph.
Ye Guyi's admiration for Kong Deming only made Qian Daoliu more displeased.
Qian Daoliu sized Kong Deming up again and again, then couldn't resist snapping at him. "Kong Deming, are you really that famous on the Sun Moon Continent?"
Ye Guyi hurriedly explained, her eyes filled with reverence. "Grand Ancestor, you may not know this, but Senior Kong is universally recognized across the continent as the Father of Soul Engineers. He's said to be the one who came closest to becoming a Level 10 Soul Engineer. He oversees every Soul Engineer in the Sun Moon Empire, and more than half of the continent's Soul Engineers have studied under him. No one can match his mastery of soul engineering."
"Gasp!"
After hearing Ye Guyi's introduction, Qian Daoliu couldn't help but look at Kong Deming with newfound respect.
Kong Deming was delighted by her words, his face beaming with pleasure as he basked in the praise. He took an exquisite, pearly-white object from his Storage Soul Tool and smiled warmly. "Guyi, this is an eighth-grade Defensive Soul Tool! Consider it an introductory gift from me."
As he spoke, he handed it straight to Ye Guyi, offering it as a gift and displaying the dignity of an elder.
"No, no, Senior Kong, this is far too valuable!"
Ye Guyi waved her hands repeatedly, declining in alarm. "Senior Kong, this item must be worth a fortune. I simply can't accept it."
Seeing this, Qian Daoliu immediately snatched the eighth-grade Soul Tool from Kong Deming's hand and shoved it straight into Ye Guyi's hands. He said coolly, "Since it's a gift from an elder, just accept it graciously."
"Brother Kong, is there anything else?"
"If not, then please be on your way!"
Qian Daoliu seemed to have noticed that Kong Deming had "designs" on Ye Guyi, so after securing an introductory gift for his descendant, he was already trying to send Kong Deming away.
Kong Deming was left speechless.
"Brother Qian, don't rush me off just yet. I've still got something good to tell you."
Kong Deming dropped his earlier irreverent manner and addressed Qian Daoliu.
Qian Daoliu was curious, but still spoke sternly. "If you've got something to say, spit it out!"
"Before I tell you the good news!"
"Brother Qian, let me run something by you first!"
"How about letting this girl, Guyi, become my apprentice? I guarantee I'll do my best to pass on everything I've learned in my life to her!"
Kong Deming made the shameless promise to Qian Daoliu.
The moment Ye Guyi heard that Kong Deming wanted to take her as his apprentice, she felt as if happiness had struck her like a blow. She couldn't think or move.
Before Ye Guyi could even agree, Qian Daoliu rejected him without hesitation. "No! Ye Guyi is the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall. How could I possibly let her become your disciple?"
"Unless..."
Qian Daoliu deliberately left them hanging.
"Unless what?"
"Unless what?"
Kong Deming and Ye Guyi asked Qian Daoliu in unison.
Qian Daoliu dropped his stern act, walked over to Kong Deming, slung an arm around his shoulders, and grinned mischievously. "Unless you, Brother Kong, become a consecrated elder of the Spirit Hall too!"
"No..."
Kong Deming instinctively started to refuse.
But Qian Daoliu cut him off at once. "Brother Kong, don't be so quick to refuse!"
"Brother Kong, yesterday Xi and I accepted the consecration token from the Worship Hall of the Sun Moon Empire out of respect for you!"
"Why are you refusing when I invite you to join the Worship Hall of the Spirit Hall today?"
"Are you really unwilling to do your old brother and Xi a favor?"
Qian Daoliu continued to tempt Kong Deming. "Besides, if you join the Worship Hall of the Spirit Hall!"
"You'll become Guyi's teacher in name and fact!"
"Isn't that right?"
Kong Deming's eyes darted back and forth as his mind raced. Before long, he had fallen for Qian Daoliu's scheme. "Brother Qian, I admit defeat!"
"I'll join the Worship Hall of the Spirit Hall!"
Kong Deming said, "Now you'll let Guyi become my apprentice, right?"
Ye Guyi was overjoyed.
Qian Daoliu and Bo Saixi exchanged glances, both delighted as well.
Qian Daoliu said, "With Kong Deming, the Father of Soul Engineers of the Sun Moon Empire, joining the Spirit Hall, we should finally be able to establish a firm foothold in the Sun Moon Empire!"
"Xi and I can also travel the continent without worry and search for the truth behind what happened ten thousand years ago!"
Qian Daoliu said to the overjoyed Ye Guyi, "Guyi, come and pay your respects to your teacher!"
"Guyi pays her respects to her teacher!"
As she spoke, Ye Guyi performed a formal kneeling bow to Kong Deming, making his heart ache. "All right, all right, good disciple. On the Sun Moon Continent, students only need to bow to their teachers. Kneeling is reserved for Heaven, Earth, and one's parents!"
Ye Guyi's eyes reddened as she said, "Teacher, I lost my parents when I was little. From now on, aside from Grand Ancestor, you're the only family I have!"
With Ye Guyi's apprenticeship settled, one more of Qian Daoliu's worries had been lifted.
Qian Daoliu then asked Kong Deming curiously, "Brother Kong, what was the good news you mentioned?"
Before you continue